Collateral Damage Daily for April 26

Most injuries or conditions have a known cause. Pitchers throw too much and strain their rotator cuff. The shortstop rolls his ankle and is out for a few days. A batter takes a fastball off his hand and has to be put in a cast for a few weeks. Baseball players are human beings, no matter how robotic they may appear. An addition to yesterday's disabled list hit home for me and likely millions others, but another player was placed on the disabled list for the more common shoulder injury. Numerous setbacks keep this list growing.

Additions

Aubrey Huff was placed on the disabled list because of an anxiety disorder, something that many people, including myself, deal with on a daily basis. Anxiety disorders have some commonalities, but they affect everyone differently. Personally, a chest-crushing sensation sets in for me and it feels like I can't catch my breath. Sometimes I know what sets it off but, for the most part, there is no warning. All of a sudden it's like the Incredible Hulk starts to bear hug me.

I've learned to deal with it on a daily basis, but acutely there is no way for me to do anything except wait it out and hope that it is an anxiety attack and not a heart attack. It can last for a few hours or a few days days, and it's all I feel, no matter what I do. I don't even have 30 thousand fans and millions more scrutinizing my every move and making every second a living eternity. There is no timetable for Huff because, in all honesty, no one actually knows how long it will take.

Michael Stutes is dealing with something a little more predictable: right shoulder inflammation. He already dealt with stiffness and inflammation earlier in the spring, although he is not sure it is related. Unfortunately, everything in the shoulder is related. Most joints work fine if something is slightly wrong, but shoulders are different. They basically need everything working just right in order to consistently throw the ball with velocity. The Phillies haven't nailed down a timetable for Stutes, but in the interim, Michael Schwimmer was called up to take Stutes' place.